The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-18
AFRICAN RARRARISM.
Horrid Prs ctice Of the Natives of Africa
People Buried Alive with Limbs
Broken in Case of the Kings Death.
From he Mem York sun.

People Buried Alive with Limbs
Broken in Case of the Kings Death.
From tie Mem York sun
4 In records of African travel that are
several centuries old may be found accounts
of horrid custom which exists almost I'M
! changed to-day. 1t is the custom of making
human sacrifices at the death of chief or
other Important member of the tribe. The
practice still prevails in most parts of saw
age Africa The victims are usually slaves
or the wives of the deceased persons. The
manner of putting them to death differs
widely i'll various parts of the Continent,
but one of the most frequent practices is to
break the arms and legs of the poor victims
and bury them alive in the grave of the
person in whose honor these unfortunate
men and women are sacrificed. Dahomey
has been most notorious for these atrocities,
but through the influence of the whites,
which everywhere in Africa is producing
such great changes for better or for worse
in the condition of the natives, human
sacrifices, it is said, in Dahomey are no
longer made
) How little the world has done for the Dark
Continent in past ages is shown by the fact
that though the countries near the sea
through which the Lower Congo flows have
been known for four centuries, nothing has
ever been done to save from this cruel fate
thousands of weak and helpless ones. The
soil of Portuguese West Africa is still
stamped down every year upon the writhing
forms of scores of the victims, 1t should be
enough to enlist the sympathy and support
of the whole world in the great work of the
Congo independent state to know that it
has determined that this form of savagery
shall cease throughout It's vast territory just
as soon as the reform can be brought about.
The rumor reached the stations on the
Lower Congo while ago that King CHM
badie of Banda Secha, one of the largest
native towns on the river, about forty miles
from the sea, had sacrificed the
lives of ten women at the death
of his father. Governor General
Jansen at once sent two officers with
military escort to Banda Secha. He told
them they might find that the report was
false, but that at any rate it was time to
convince all the chiefs that the State would
not tolerate such atrocities, and also to show
to certain merchants who had concealed
facts relating to-human sacrifices in which
chiefs upon whom they were dependent for
, trade were implicated, that the State regard
ed the security of human life as of greater
Importance than commerce. Mr. Jansen
told the officers that even if they found the
report baseless, it would be well to let the
chiefs know the role the State proposed to
play.
In the report which Mr.. Daenen has made
colleague to Banda Secha he gives graphic
and picturesque account of the peaceful
means the young State is adopting to inn
prove the condition of the Congo natives.
Banda Secha," he says, ''is the largest
town | have yet visited in Africa. Sur
rounded by lands of great fertility, the
natives raise abundant harvestS, and enjoy
a certain affluence. Their huts, ranged in
order, are mostly built Of bamboos, and the
residence Of the king rivals in comfort and
neatness the houses of the whites. When
we entered the village requested that King
Chimbadje assemble his chief men for
palaver. The kings head man, bearing the
keys of the royal hut, came to meet us. We
were received with respect and cordiallty,
taken to the kings house and seated at
table covered with white cloth. After
native wine had been served the king
entered. He is no ordinary negro. He is
tall, finely proportioned, wears his beard
neatly trimmed and is decently clad. He
speaks Portuguese and little English. He
sat opposite us. Behind him as many of
his men as could conveniently get in ranged
themselves. Others stood outside the door
and a large crowd collected.
''The king through an interpreter asked
the object of our visit, I told him l had
been sent by the great chief, Boua Matari,
upon peaceful mission, and that he might
reply without fear and in all sincerity to the
questions l wished to ask him He replied
that he had confidence IN Boula Matari, and
that he was ready to answer truly. Then
/ told him that | had heard that on the
Noccasion of the funeral of the late king, his
father, he had killed ten women and buried
c them with his father, and ! demanded that
he tell me the circumstances that had led to
these sacrifices. Chimbadje smiled and re
piled that the white men had been deceived,
and that he could not explain the circum-
stances that led to the sacrifices for the
hot, I,,1 l,
fathers death We made the most diligent
inquiry, but were unable to find any proof
contradicting the kings statements.
endeavored to make the natives comprehend
that the State would not tolerate such horrid
practices and that all who were responsible
Tor such crimes in the future would be
prosecuted without pity.
Il also did all | could TO destroy the infu-
ence OF the fetch men and l tried to show
the chiefs by argument and example that
the power Of these comedians was simply
Imaginary. | dare not affirm that we have
completely succeeded, but | am convinced
that our exhortatiOns will find an echo i'll
Banda Secha. / also sought to demonstrate
to Chimbadje that it was to his interest to
submit to our laws and customs and | as
sured him of the protection of the State so
far as his actions were not blamable or
inhuman. He said he had been faithful to
the State and mentioned the fact, which is
true, that he had refused to furnish men to
the natives ofMateva in their war against
the State He asked for some flags of the
, Congo State to raise over his villages and
y promised to bring him several when | next
visited him. The palaver was then over,
and the king introduced to me his son, a fine
looking boy about II years old, and several
of his forty wives"
If the Congo State becomes in the course
of its development really great power in
Africa, and if it adheres to its present desire
to sternly repress all the manifestations of
savagery that destroy human life or bring
suffering upon the natives, the civilized
world cannot but wish it God speed in its
beneficent mission